PVC pipe adapter for 3D Printed Vertical Hydroponic Tower

Updated - 17/05/2025 - added great tolerance top and bottom variants

Make your 3D printed hydroponic tower even more modular!

Please post your makes and like the file!

This is an upgrade to the super popular 3D printed hydroponic tower—designed to make it even more modular and user-friendly. The goal was to incorporate standard PVC piping so individual sections can be added or removed without taking the entire tower apart.

This adapter connects each section using affordable 21mm+ outer diameter PVC pipe (commonly used in plumbing and water transport). It also serves as the internal tube that carries water from the reservoir to the top distributor.

The design has been thoroughly tested with 21mm OD PVC pipe. It fits snugly—secure enough for stacking, but not so tight that it's hard to separate.

For the planting sections use PVC pipe cut to approx. 115mm.

The bottom connector has been designed with slightly looser tolerances to make removal easier, without having to grip or force the pipe. Additionally, the connectors have extended sleeves to accommodate pipes that may be slightly short (up to 1.5–2cm), ensuring a secure fit even with minor length variations.

Insert three pronged bottom through bottom of tower section, screw top section to three pronged threaded section.

To do (and in progress):
✅ top adapter (female)
✅ bottom adapter (PVC fitting, male)
✅ bottom adapter (16/22 flexible hose)
✅ bottom adapter (12/16 flexible hose)
✅ bottom adapter for distributer plate for 9/12 flexible hose) (top of tower)

Last update - 17 May 2025

If you need any changes made for other PVC pipe diameters, let me know.

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🔩 Parts list - 
1. HydroPipeAdapter V11 Top - Print on flat hex area, with 0.2mm layer height the threads should screw on fine (tighter tolerance version has been included which sits tighter against the PVC piping)
2. HydroPipeAdapter V11 Bottom - Print upright (threads at the top), with 0.2 resolution threads will screw just fine and need no supports (also included is a tigher tolerance variant)
3. HydroPipeAdapter V15 Bottom Body Threaded  - Same as #2 but shorter and threaded for tap adapters
4. HydroPipeAdapter V15 Tap 1622 Threaded - use with a bottom body threaded (#3 above) - cant be printed upside down or normal without supports
5. HydroPipeAdapter V16 Tap 1216 Threaded - use with a bottom body threaded (#3 above) - cant be printed upside down or normal without supports
6. HydroPipeAdapter Top HOSE 912 - Print on flat hex area, with 0.2mm layer height the threads should screw on fine (normal tolerance - includes hose adapter for 9/12 hose which is the same as the dispenser module in the 3D Printer Hydroponic tower files. Use this in the topmost module under the dispenser.
7. Extra Tolerance variants have been included as well to assist with deviance in outer diameter on PVC piping.

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🖨 Print settings - 
My tower is inside and thus printed from PLA, for better grip on the parts I would recommend adding a modifier to part of the models and add fuzzy skin to the external walls of the print (orcaslicer - right click model, add modifier, adjust modifier and in settings add Fuzzy Skin / Contour)
Ourdoor towers, this can still be made in PLA due to the water keeping it cool or use PETG.

Print settings used for testing:
- 0.2mm layer height
- 0.4mm nozzle
- 15% infill
- 0.2mm elephants foot compensation (models are designed and tested to NOT be bothered by elephants foot)
- no supports needed
- no brim/raft needed